Drunken Crayfish

“Fermentation may have been a greater discovery than fire.”

David Rains Wallace

“Everyone has his own lifetime dream. Mine is that someday, in a tavern somewhere, I’ll hold up a pitcher of beer like this and I’ll say, Bartender? Could I have a glass? And he’ll look back at me and say, Friend, this is the glass!”

Joe Martin

Do you know that?

Potteloereke beer offered by Sint Canarus brewery is a bottle-refermented Belgian dark ale. This dark-mahogany brew has an 8% alcohol volume.

Potteloereke beer has a pleasant aroma with notes of ripe fruit and roasted malt. We are sure you will be charmed by its plum/ raisin/ scorched sugar/ burnt toast flavour!

Homebrewery Sint Canarus is the biggest brewery between Deinze and Gent and one of the smallest breweries in the world. Besides Potteloereke, it offers also such beers as Sint Canarus Tripel, Willy Kriegelbier and Maagd von Gottem.

Cheers!

World: Hopsteiner expect reduction in world

Do you know that?

De Dolle Brouwers is a brewery located in Esen, in the North of Belgium near Diksmuide. According to the archives, the brewery was founded in 1835.

Presently, De Dolle Brouwers offer six delicious brews, of which Dulle Teve has the most striking name.

Actually, Dulle Teve translates from Flemish as Mad Bitch, but do not be shocked. It is brewed in the tradition of a Belgian Triple. Its high density stems from large amounts of pale malt increased with pale candy sugar in the brew kettle. The beer is not meant for aging, De Dolle Brouwers advise.

Dulle Teve is a very fruity and mildly sweet drink, of which 10% abv does not really hit you until to you stand up. An Excellent Beer!

Cheers!

New study says moderate beer drinkers less prone to have high blood pressure and excess weight

A new study has found that people who take ale and lager in moderate levels are less prone to have high blood pressure and diabetes. Also, those who take beer in controlled manner are less likely to get fat, Topnews reported on January, 18.

Dr. Ramon Estruch, a Spanish researcher led the study, which revealed that beer has folic acid, vitamins, calcium and iron, which are beneficial for cardiovascular system.

The researchers are of the view that beer doesn’t always make one plump as there are low fat and kilojoule levels in the drink. One becomes pot-bellied due to binge drinking, taking high-fat content food and less physical activity.

The study suggests that along with taking healthy diet and following regular exercise regime, men should take three small glasses of beer a day and for women, this amount should be two glasses per day.

US Brewers Association updates several beer styles descriptions in its 2011 Beer Style Guidelines

The US Brewers Association (BA) recently released its 2011 Beer Style Guidelines. Updated annually, the guidelines currently describe 140 styles of beer and are used in prestigious beer competitions, like the Great American Beer Festival® and the World Beer Cup®.

For 2011, several beer style descriptions have been significantly updated:

* Belgo-American-Style Ales
* Belgian-Style Flanders Oud Bruin/Oud Red
* German Bock
* Rye Beer

Additionally, two beer styles have been renamed. American-Style Sour Ale is now known as American-Style Brett Ale, and its description has been significantly revised. American-Style Black Ale is the new name for American-Style India Black Ale, and it too has updated style guidelines.

Since 1979 the BA has provided beer style descriptions as a reference for brewers and beer competition organizers. The beer style guidelines developed by the BA use sources from the commercial brewing industry, beer analyses, and consultations with beer industry experts and knowledgeable beer enthusiasts as resources for information. Much of the early work was based on the assistance and contributions of beer journalist Michael Jackson. For 2011, revisions were aided by over 150 comments and suggestions from Great American Beer Festival and World Beer Cup judges, as well as other beer industry members.

“These guidelines help to illustrate the growth of craft brewers in the United States and also offer insight and a foundation for helping appreciate the hundreds of beer types brewed for the beer lover,” said Charlie Papazian, president of the Brewers Association.

Based in Boulder, Colorado, USA, the Brewers Association (BA) is the not-for-profit trade and education association dedicated to small and independent American brewers, their craft beers and the community of brewing enthusiasts.

Beer is nutricious, medicinal and simply tasty

Beer has been brewing for more than 8,000 years worldwide, and in olden days was considered a food staple.

The word beer comes from the Middle English ber(e), and from the Latin bibere meaning “to drink.” Ancient Babylonian records indicate beer as being used in sacrificial rituals. All of the ancient cultures, including those of Egypt, China, India, and the Incas of Peru, made beer.

Teuton brides drank honey-beer for a month after their wedding ceremony as an aphrodisiac. The custom of honey-beer for a month, poetically referred to as a moon, led to the current term of honeymoon.

Physicians and holistic practitioners of old used beer liberally in their cures. One important reason is that due to the brewing process, beer was actually safer to drink than the water or milk (which was usually preserved as cheese). Thus, beer was often used to mix medicines and was also used as the liquid in recipes in lieu of impotable water.

An old folk remedy to rid the face of freckles was to wash the face with warm beer.

Desperate early American colonists with a shortage of barley and hops in the new world made beer from corn, molasses, wheat bran, pumpkins, and even persimmons!

Beer is brewed from some very healthy ingredients, primarily hops, yeast, barley, and barley malt. Is it any wonder that beer was often referred to as liquid bread? Many Europeans have adopted hops sprouts as a substitute for asparagus and use them for pickling, in spite of their higher cost.

Beer varieties are virtually endless, especially with the current popularity of craft- and homebrewing. Homebrewers have more control over the flavor and alcohol-content which is dependent upon the grains, malts, and brewing methods.

Pilsener, ale, stout, porter, lager and bock beer are all good candidates for addition to your recipes.

Cheers!

As far back as the 1500s, Belgian brewmasters knew that adding fruit to beer was a way to pretty up the flavour and help it last longer, especially in the days before pasteurization.

The variety of fruit that goes into the thirst-quenching summer brews is as diverse as any farmers market stand, from staples like apples, apricots, blueberries and cherries to more exotic offerings, such as cassis, a European blackcurrant, and pomegranates.

Belgian brewmasters add real fruit to “sour beer” or unblended, naturally and spontaneously fermented beer. But the fruit esters – beerspeak for the flavours and aromas – didn’t last long if the beer was unpasteurized because the wild yeast absorbed all the fruit’s sweetness. With pasteurization, beer makers found they could retain the fruit flavours and sweetness in their product because the process stopped unintentional fermentation that can produce off-flavours.

Belgian or Belgian-style beers tend to be made with bolder, sour beer bases such as a lambic, a Belgian wheat that is spontaneously fermented by freeborn, ambient yeasts and bacteria. Belgian beers also tend to use real fruit and juices, instead of fruit extracts typically resulting in bigger, more powerful and flavourful quaffs than their American counterparts.

American fruit brews, by contrast, tend to be made from lighter, softer lagers or wheat beers, although some breweries are using Imperial Amber Ale or Stouts as their base.

Analysts forecast growth for Europe’s chocolate market in 2011

The fall in cocoa grindings by 2.4 per in the fourth quarter of 2010 is not an indication of slowdown in the recovery of the chocolate market in Europe, Confectionery News cited on January, 17 an industry analyst.

A report from the Brussels based European Cocoa Association (ECA) earlier in January showed that cocoa bean processing by European based manufacturers is down to 342,713 metric tonnes in the fourth quarter of 2010.

Grindings are a key indicator of demand for cocoa from the chocolate and foods industries. The ECA accounts for around two-thirds of European bean processing.

But Francisco Redruello, senior food analyst at Euromonitor International, argues that grindings are not the only indicator of demand and he puts the lower fourth quarter figures down to the fact that leading chocolate manufacturers were in restocking rather than processing mode during the period as a way to offset higher prices for the commodity.

Indeed, Mr. Redruello said that the market research firm estimates a retail volume growth of 2 per cent in 2011 for chocolate confectionery in Europe, with consumer confidence on the rebound in the UK market in particular.

“Turkey, with a strong emerging chocolate market, will have around a 7 per cent hike in retail volume in this category,” continued Redruello.

The analyst also predicts stability in the cocoa futures markets over the next few months.

“Based on the fact that supplies are getting through to the ports in the Ivory Coast in spite of the political crisis, in addition to the better yields from the heavy rainfall in Ghana, we do not forsee any strong price fluctuations,” added the analyst.

Do you know that?

Brewery Roman is located in Oudenaarde, Belgium. Its official history begins in 1545, and the brewery has been run by the Roman family for 12 generations already.

Brewery Roman offers quite a wide range of excellent beers, among which the Ename abbey beers launched in 1990.

The Ename beer family has grown quickly and now includes Ename Blond, Ename Dubbel, Ename Tripel, and Ename Cuvée. These are all top fermentation beer undergoing refermentation in bottle.

Enjoy the delicate well-balanced palate of Brewery Roman’s Ename beers!

Stella Artois® crowns its 2010 World Draught Master

The 14th edition of the annual Stella Artois® World Draught Masters competition heralds the importance of the perfect pouring ritual.

This year’s competition saw contestants from 25 countries across the globe converge in London to compete for the coveted title and complete the brand’s time-honoured 9-step pouring ritual to perfection during a show that invited people to step into the Stella Artois world.

Chris Myers from Madison, Wisconsin (U.S.A.), can call himself the brand new Stella Artois World Draught Master as of today and was awarded a unique trophy celebrating the iconic Stella Artois® Chalice glass.

Australian candidate Siobhan Kathleen Mullins was the first runner-up, while the 3rd prize went to Keith Cuveele from Belgium. Marc Pronovost from Canada came in fourth.

The 9-Step Pouring Ritual consists of the following steps:

The Purification: Use clean & rinsed branded glass

The Sacrifice: Open the tap in one quick action and let the first drops of beer flow away

The Liquid Alchemy Begins: Hold the glass just under the tap without touching it at a 45° angle

The Head, although ‘Crown’ would be more appropriate: Lower the glass to allow the natural formation of the foam head

The Removal: Close the tap quickly and move the glass away so beer doesn’t drip into the glass

The Beheading: While the head foams up and overflows the side of the glass, smooth it gently with a head cutter

The Cleansing: Clean the bottom and sides of the glass

The Two Finger Rule: The right amount of foam is usually about 2 fingers

The Bestowal: Present the beer on a clean beer coaster with the logo facing the consumer

EU: Malting barley quality below par in several European regions

European Union beer brewers may face tight supplies of key beer ingredient malting barley in coming months following a poor harvest unless they accept lower quality grain than usual, Reuters reported on November, 2.

Grain crops in Germany and several east European and Scandinavian countries were hit by the double blow of an early summer heat wave followed by repeated harvest-time rain.

The EU 2010 barley crop which reached malting quality fell to 10.05 million tonnes from 14.45 million tonnes in 2009, French analysts Strategie Grains estimates.

Dealers said brewers and maltsters have not yet decided on what specifications they will accept for the barley they have yet to buy for the rest of the season.

“Experience shows that maltsters are able to produce, thanks to their know-how, good malt from malting barley, which may not entirely meet the malting barley quality conditions,” said Pierre-Olivier Bergeron secretary general of industry association Brewers of Europe.

Traders said brewers may have to accept animal feed barley, which they would normally reject as having low quality, as it can be used for malting.

“There is no doubt brewers and malt producers are facing significantly tighter supplies this year,” another German malting barley trader said.

“There were poor malting barley harvests in countries including Germany, the Czech Republic, Romania and Denmark. But the harvest in France was better and it looks like France will have to carry the burden of supplying the major consumers in the coming months.”

Moderate consumption of beer strengthens kidneys

Who drinks alcohol in moderation reinforces the function of kidneys. This is the conclusion of a recent study by the Berliner Charite.

The scientific team around Dr. Elke Schaeffner evaluated the American “Physicians Health Study” containing data on the health of 11 000 American doctors. The researchers wanted to find out what alcohol consumption makes to your kidneys.

“Men who drank seven units per week had a keratinin value 30 percent lower than the teetotalers”, said Dr. Elke Schaeffner from the Charite Clinic for Renal Medicine and leader of the study. Keratinin is the measurement factor for healthy kidneys.

The keratinin value for moderate drinkers was clearly better than among men with high or low alcohol consumption. The moderate drinkers had the least risk of suffering from renal disorders.

The German study thereby confirms several international investigations that state that moderate beer consumption is good for the digestive organs. Thus, for instance, was the conclusion of the National Health Institute in Helsinki** back in 1999: one bottle of beer a day reduces the risk of kidney stones by40 percent.

The expression “moderate beer consumption” means: one liter of beer a day for men; for women, around half a litre, since it takes them longer to eliminate alcohol.

Did thirst for beer lead to civilization?

Some archaeologists have said that there is a possibility that beer may have helped lead to the rise of civilization.

Their argument is that Stone Age farmers were domesticating cereals not so much to fill their stomachs but to lighten their heads, by turning the grains into beer.

Signs that people went to great lengths to obtain grains despite the hard work needed to make them edible, plus the knowledge that feasts were important community-building gatherings, support the idea that cereal grains were being turned into beer, said archaeologist Brian Hayden at Simon Fraser University in Canada.

“Beer is sacred stuff in most traditional societies,” Live Science quoted Hayden, as saying.

The advent of agriculture began in the Neolithic Period of the Stone Age about 11,500 years ago. Once-nomadic groups of people had settled down and were coming into contact with each other more often, spurring the establishment of more complex social customs that set the foundation of more-intricate communities.

The Neolithic peoples living in the large area of Southwest Asia called the Levant developed from the Natufian culture, pioneers in the use of wild cereals, which would evolve into true farming and more settled behavior. The most obvious explanation for such cultivation is that it was done in order to eat.

Archaeological evidence suggests that until the Neolithic, cereals such as barley and rice constituted only a minor element of diets, most likely because they require so much labor to get anything edible from them – one typically has to gather, winnow, husk and grind them, all very time-consuming tasks.

However, sites in Syria suggest that people nevertheless went to unusual lengths at times just to procure cereal grains – up to 40 to 60 miles (60 to 100 km). One might speculate, Hayden said, that the labor associated with grains could have made them attractive in feasts in which guests would be offered foods that were difficult or expensive to prepare, and beer could have been a key reason to procure the grains used to make them.

“It’s not that drinking and brewing by itself helped start cultivation, it’s this context of feasts that links beer and the emergence of complex societies,” Hayden said.

Feasts would have been more than simple get-togethers – such ceremonies have held vital social significance for millennia, from the Last Supper to the first Thanksgiving.

“Feasts are essential in traditional societies for creating debts, for creating factions, for creating bonds between people, for creating political power, for creating support networks, and all of this is essential for developing more complex kinds of societies,” Hayden explained.

“In traditional feasts throughout the world, there are three ingredients that are almost universally present,” he said. “One is meat. The second is some kind of cereal grain, at least in the Northern Hemisphere, in the form of breads or porridge or the like. The third is alcohol, and because you need surplus grain to put into it, as well as time and effort, it’s produced almost only in traditional societies for special occasions to impress guests, make them happy, and alter their attitudes favorably toward hosts.”

The brewing of alcohol seems to have been a very early development linked with initial domestication, seen during Neolithic times in China, the Sudan, the first pottery in Greece and possibly with the first use of maize. Hayden said circumstantial evidence for brewing has been seen in the Natufian, in that all the technology needed to make it is there – cultivated yeast, grindstones, vessels for brewing and fire-cracked rocks as signs of the heating needed to prepare the mash.

“We still don’t have the smoking gun for brewing in the Natufian, with beer residues in the bottom of stone cups or anything like that,” Hayden said.

“But hopefully people will start looking for that-people haven’t yet.”

Hayden is planning to submit research on the origins of beer to the journal Current Anthropology.

Chocolate aroma improves mood

According to recent studies from the Human Olfaction Laboratory, Middlesex University, chocolate aroma may play a part in helping people relax. Neil Martin, reader in psychology at the university, found that the aroma of chocolate “really does make people less stressed and anxious, and more relaxed.”

The studies involved analyzing the effect of chocolate aromas on brain activity, using electroencephalography (EEG) to record brain waves as subjects took in aromas emanating from the laboratory’s AromaCube, a device that warms odorants and distributes them throughout the room.

“We presented people with a range of smells, some artificial food odors and some real food odors, with both samples including chocolate,” said Martin. EEG data found that chocolate aromas affected a reduction in theta levels, brain activity apparently connected to attentiveness.

Other aroma-centric studies showed people demonstrate inferior cognitive performance and report more symptoms of ill health in the presence of a “bad” aroma; orange scents reduced anxiety in women while waiting for the dentist; and subjects playing a driving video game “were consistently able to brake more safely and appropriately in the presence of the lemon scent,” noted Martin, positing that “dangling a lemon-smelling air freshener in the car could make you a better driver.”

Do you know that?

Potteloereke beer offered by Sint Canarus brewery is a bottle-refermented Belgian dark ale. This dark-mahogany brew has an 8% alcohol volume.

Potteloereke beer has a pleasant aroma with notes of ripe fruit and roasted malt. We are sure you will be charmed by its plum/ raisin/ scorched sugar/ burnt toast flavour!

Homebrewery Sint Canarus is the biggest brewery between Deinze and Gent and one of the smallest breweries in the world. Besides Potteloereke, it offers also such beers as Sint Canarus Tripel, Willy Kriegelbier and Maagd von Gottem.

Cheers!

World: Hopsteiner expect reduction in world?s overall alpha usage in the coming years

The size of crop 2008 (113,124.9 metric tonnes of hops or 9,750 metric tonnes of alpha) demonstrated the production potential of the world?s existing hop acreage. In 2009 there were no significant acreage changes. Despite the large hail storm in the Hallertau that destroyed approximately 5,000 tonnes of hops, crop 2009 produced 111,386 tonnes of hops worldwide, an all-time record of 10,000 tonnes of alpha acids, Hopsteiner, one of the world?s leading hops producers, said in a report.

After a decline in world beer production in 2009, beer sales in 2010 have been flat. Declines in the West and East European beer markets, and to a lesser degree in North America, were offset by growth in Asia and South America. Nevertheless, with more breweries using pre-isomerized hop products and the continuous increase in sales of less hopped beers, particularly in markets with volume increases, the world?s alpha demand dropped further.

Based on the high pre-contract rates in Germany and USA and with many breweries suddenly over-contracted, spot market activity after crop 2009 was very limited. Growing regions which rely heavily on the spot market had large unsold positions as the crop 2010 harvest began.

Growers in the US and China reacted quickly to the situation by making significant acreage reductions in 2009 and 2010. In the US, where growers exchanged 2009 and 2010 contracts for future business there were 21% fewer acres strung for harvest in 2010 as compared with 2009. This brought producing acres in the US back to the crop 2007 level, albeit with a higher-yielding variety mix. In China, which is solely a spot market for domestic hops, the acreage reduction was more than 25%. In the European growing countries no noteworthy reductions were achieved, despite similar offers being made to European growers as were accepted by US growers.

Growing conditions throughout the world were not ideal in 2010. A cold and wet spring caused delays in many growing regions and the summer did not bring the required heat units. The Hallertau experienced another hailstorm in May 2010 which destroyed approximately 2,500 tonnes of hops.

With a similar acreage compared to 2007, the 2010 crop is estimated to produce approximately 97,500 tonnes of hops or 8,400 tonnes of alpha. Despite imperfect growing conditions, the quality of crop 2010 hops was normal to good. Alpha concentrations were generally within the long term average but weight yields were below the long term results. This is a trend that extended to many crops around the world in 2010. Fortunately long-term contracts are in place for hops which help to shield users from the price spikes experienced in other crops. Crop 2010 production again demonstrates the increased potency of new varieties, with an increase of the world wide average alpha content from 7.6% in 2007 to 8.6% in 2010, Hopsteiner said.

For the coming years Hopsteiner estimate slight improvements in beer sales, reaching approximately 1,811 mln hl for 2010 and 1,814 mln hl for 2011, mainly due to growing markets in Asia and South America. Traditional European beer markets are expected to continue their decline for the foreseeable future, due to changes in consumer behavior and a drop in the population. This has the effect of accelerating the reduction in the world?s overall alpha dosage. As a result, Hopsteiner estimate a reduction in the world alpha acid demand of approximately 5% from 7,260 to 6,890 metric tonnes. This means that crop 2010 will result in an overproduction of approximately 1,500 metric tonnes of alpha acid.

Health benefits of drinking beer

Studies have revealed that beer can produce a lot of health benefits. Whether you prefer ales, lagers, stout, bitter or wheat beers, studies show that one drink a day for women or up to two drinks a day for men will reduce your chances of strokes, heart and vascular disease.

What?s interesting is that it was proven (New England Journal of Medicine ? Nov. 1999) that those who drank one beer a week compared to those who drank one beer a day experienced no variance in reducing stroke risks. It is said that light to moderate drinkers will decrease their chances of suffering a stroke by 20%.

A researcher at the Texas Southwestern Medical Center (May 1999) reported that those who consume moderate amounts of beer (one to two a day at the most) have a 30-40% lower rate of coronary heart disease compared to those who don?t drink. Beer contains a similar amount of ?polyphenols? (antioxidants) as red wine and 4-5 times as many polyphenols as white wine.

Alcohol has also been attributed of its ability to increase the amount of good cholesterol (HDL) into the bloodstream as well as help to decrease blood clots.

Beer also contains vitamin B6, which prevents the build-up of amino acid called homocysteine that has been linked to heart disease. Those of us who have high levels of homocysteine are usually more prone to an early onset of heart and vascular disease. A new study performed at the TNO Nutrition and Food Research Institute in Utrecht indicates that those who drink beer had no increase in their homocysteine level but those who drank wine or liquor had an increase of up to 10%. Also noted was the fact that those who drank beer experienced a 30% increase in vitamin B6 in their blood plasma, thereby proving that beer (in moderation) is actually healthier to drink than wine and other liquor.

Cheers!

Ladies, gentlemen and beer

Women do not react to alcoholic beverages in the same way as men, Beer&Health informs.

The quantity of alcohol that enters the blood depends on body weight and sex. Even if a man and a woman are the same weight and drink the same amount of alcohol, the alcoholaemia (the percentage of alcohol in the blood) is higher in the woman than in the man. This is the consequence of the difference in musculature and of the effectiveness of the enzyme that is responsible for the metabolism of the alcohol, both factors being lower in women. The hormonal difference is also involved. An example: a 70 kg man taking 20 g alcohol produces the same alcoholaemia as a 50 kg woman taking 10 g alcohol (both 0.4 promille).

Women can drink 1 to 2 beers a day and men can drink 2 to 4 beers a day. ?One beer? is taken to mean a standard glass of 0.30 to 0.33 litre beer.

The effect of non-alcoholic beer on your heart

Drinking non-alcoholic beer may provide some of the same cardiovascular benefits seen with moderate alcohol consumption in previous studies, a research from Germany suggests. In a new study, non-alcoholic beer had a powerful short-term effect on two processes believed to be involved in heart disease, Reuters Health reports.

“Because of the negative implications of alcohol use and abuse, drinking de-alcoholized beverages may offer an alternative to alcoholic beverage consumption without losing beneficial effects,” Dr. Steffen Bassus of Deutsche Klinik fuer Diagnostik in Wiesbaden said.

Many studies have shown that moderate drinking is associated with a reduced risk of cardiovascular disease. Some researchers have suggested that the beneficial effects of moderate drinking come not only from alcohol itself, but from other substances found in alcoholic beverages. Red wine, for example, contains a compound called resveratrol, which is believed to be heart-healthy.

Bassus and his team set out to see whether some of beer’s beneficial effects stem from substances other than alcohol.

The researchers examined the effects of three beverages: normal beer, non-alcoholic beer and alcohol mixed with water. The participants, 12 healthy men 19 to 36 years old, consumed 3 litres of one of the beverages over the course of 3 hours. Blood samples were taken before, during and after the drinking sessions. Eventually, the men consumed all three types of beverages on separate days.

The non-alcoholic beer inhibited the formation of thrombin, a key factor in blood clotting. The findings appear in the May issue of the journal Alcoholism: Clinical and Experimental Research. Although reduced thrombin production can sometimes be harmful because it makes it difficult to stop bleeding, it can also have the effect of reducing the risk of blood clots, Bassus said.

One limitation of the study is that it only examined the short-term effect of non-alcoholic beer, the investigators point out. More research is needed to see whether the long-term use of non-alcoholic beer is beneficial, according to the report.

Chocolate history in brief. Part 1

Chocolate is probably best known in solid or bar form, but it wasn?t always this way. In fact, for more than 90% of its history, chocolate was consumed only as a beverage.

The first conclusive evidence of chocolate consumption dates from the Classic Period of the Ancient Maya of Mexico and Central America (250-900 CE). The Maya made it into a spicy drink that they used in ceremonies.

Among the ancient Maya, chocolate was enjoyed by rich and poor alike. A particular favorite of Maya kings and priests, chocolate played a special part in royal and religious ceremonies. When ancient Maya aristocrats served chocolate drinks, they used lavishly decorated vessels made by specially trained artists. On storage jars and drinking vessels intended for the elite, artists painted religious and courtly scenes. Some vessels show images of gods and animals, or even kings drinking chocolate.

In the palaces of Maya kings, the frothy chocolate drink was a treasured treat. And at sacred altars, Maya priests presented cacao seeds as offerings to the gods. Priests also prepared chocolate as a drink for special religious ceremonies.

The Maya were part of a trade network that included cacao and extended well beyond the territory they occupied (Maya lands covered parts of southern Mexico, Belize, Guatemala, and western Honduras). Long after the height of their political power, during the later Maya Post Classic Period (AD 900-1519), the ancient Maya supplied cacao to other Middle American people, such as the Aztecs (AD 1428-1521) of central Mexico, where the climate was too cool and dry to grow cacao.

Cacao became an important product of the vast trade empire of the Aztec people ? not only as a luxury drink, but as money, an offering to the gods, and tribute to rulers. In fact, the seeds were so valuable that dishonest merchants are believed to have made clay counterfeits. Aztec rulers also required ordinary citizens and conquered peoples to pay a tax or tribute to them. Because cacao was so valuable, conquered peoples who lived in cacao-growing areas often paid tribute with cacao seeds. Why was cacao so valuable to the Aztecs? In part, its value lay in the fact that the Aztecs couldn?t grow it themselves and that they had to trade for it over long distances. In Maya lands south of their own, Aztec traders filled woven backpacks with cacao, then hauled this precious cargo on foot to the Aztec capital, Tenochtitlan, today the site of Mexico city.

Like the Maya, the Aztec also used cacao to create a beverage. But other than the Aztec elite – rulers, priests, decorated warriors, and honored merchants ? few had the means to savor the precious drink.

“I have received delegations of working men who, apparently speaking with the utmost sincerity, have declared that they would regard it as a genuine hardship to be deprived of their beer.”

Woodrow Wilson

Do you know that?

De Ryck Brewery was founded by Gustaaf De Ryck in Herzele, Belgium, in 1886.

His De Gouden Arend Brewery (The Golden Eagle) was shut down during World War 1 as the brewing kettles were confiscated.

The De Ryck family reopened its family business under the name De Ryck Brewery in 1920. In the same year, the company?s flagship beer Special De Ryck was launched.

Today, the brewery offers a wide range of excellent beers, among which the four brews under the Arend brand: Arend Blond, Arend Dubbel, Arend Trippel, and Arend Winter.

Let?s taste the latter ? winter is coming and Arend Winter is just what you need when the thermometer goes down.

Arend Winter (6.3 vol. % alc.) is an amber-coloured Belgian high fermented Ale. It has a spicy flavour due to the authentic way of brewing with pure hops and malt.

Arend Winter has a subtler mouthfeel and is less stronger as compared to other winter beers.

The beer is available both in bottles and in kegs.

Arend Winter – the most agreeable companion on cold winter evenings!

EU: A look into the EU?s beer drinking culture

Beer continues to be an important industry in Europe but, like many consumer goods, it has not been unaffected by the recession. Many of Europe?s beer markets have experienced declines in the last 24 months and in the UK, pubs continue to close at an alarming rate, SABMiller said in a report published on November, 12.

However, beer still plays a crucial part in many Europeans? lives – in friendships, communities and sociability; although the role it plays varies from country to country with each nation displaying its own unique and varied beer drinking culture.

The findings of the company?s research into beer drinking culture around Europe include:

- Britain is the biggest round-buying nation, with 82% of people saying that they buy beer in rounds – three times more than in Germany, where drinkers prefer to pay for their own drinks individually;

- British bosses are amongst the most sociable in Europe – and the most generous, whereas French bosses are the least likely to ever go out for a beer with their teams;

- British women are big believers in equality – more than half think that men and women should split the beer tab on a date;

Prague, Amsterdam and Berlin have been named the top European destinations for a beer.

The report, ?Whose Round?’ which was researched across 12 European countries, found that 20% of all respondents named Prague as their top city for a beer, although Brits chose London, followed by Dublin, as their beer-drinking destination of choice.

Prague was chosen as the top city by respondents from five countries and was particularly popular with beer drinkers from its Eastern European neighbours. Second placed Amsterdam trailed with 13% of the vote. London was fifth overall, proving most popular with Romanian, Czech and Dutch drinkers – as well as Brits.

As well as the British; Dutch, Germans and French beer drinkers all showed their national pride by voting their own capital the top place for a pint. Propping up the bottom of the league table were Bucharest, Bratislava and Warsaw, landing only 1% of the vote each.

?Your Round?’ surveyed a range of beer drinking cultural trends across Europe, including which countries are most likely to socialise after work – and which have the most generous bosses; which nation of men are most likely to expect a woman to pay her way on a date; and the celebrities that Europeans would most like to go for a beer with.

Great Britain, Romania and Italy have the most generous bosses when it comes to buying beer whilst French bosses are the most misérables. The Dutch are the least likely to go out drinking with colleagues (34%) but when they do, they have the most generous bosses, with 37% saying that their boss will sometimes or always stand a round.

Brits’ choice of celebrity beer drinking buddies were Cheryl Cole and Stephen Fry, whilst Barack Obama and Angelina Jolie were the most popular across Europe.

Trappist beers. Part 2

Early in the twentieth century and right through the 1950s, many brewers wanted to take advantage of the Trappist denomination and reputation for their products. Therefore, they produced beers and called them ?Trappists?. The Trappist monks logically started legal proceedings to protect the name, Trappistbeer.net informs.

Since the judgment of the court of Gent, on February 28th, 1962 ?? the word Trappist is used commonly to indicate a beer brewed and sold by monks pertaining to the order of the Trappists or by people who would have obtained an authorization of this kind? is thus called Trappist a beer manufactured by Cistercian monks and not a beer in the Trappist style which will be rather called beer of abbey.?

It does, nonetheless, remain that despite the legal definition of what is a ?Trappist beer?, it is never defined in a sufficiently strict way to cover all situations. This is why the International Trappist Association specified complementary criteria making it possible to define an Authentic Trappist Product.

Applied to beer, the “authentic trappist product” hexagonal logo means that:

The beers shall be produced by a production unit situated inside the monastery or its immediate vicinity.

Through its extent, physical configuration, organization, use and management, the entire business equipment required shall demonstrate both an indisputable link of subordination to the accredited monastery and a business culture that fits in with monastic life.

The work shall be carried out by the monks or nuns themselves and/or laypersons from the accredited monastery or a business entrusted with the production, packaging and marketing, provided that this business is dependent on the accredited monastery and operates under the latter’s supervision in terms of production and administrative management methods, quality, publicity and financing.

The proceeds shall be outside the scope of any independent profit motive and be intended for material, intellectual and spiritual needs, the maintenance of the buildings, their fittings and the environment of the accredited monastery, whereby any surplus arising from healthy and careful management is used for charity or social work or the needs of other Trappist monasteries.

How to store beer

Beer connoisseurs can spend more for a six pack of beer than a bottle of wine. That is why storing beer properly is so important!

Step 1: Beer, can or bottle, should always be stored in an upright position.

Step 2: Allowing beer to lie on its side for any length of time exposes the container to more oxygen which results in loss of flavor.

Step 3: Beer should not be moved from one location in the refrigerator to another since the slightest temperature change will affect the flavor.

Step 4: The colder the beer, the less flavorful it will be. Beer is served at room temperature in many countries.

Step 5: Draft beer is not subject to pasteurization process resulting in a better tasting beer as compared with cans and bottles.

Cheers!

Types of beer bottles

Beer bottles come in many shapes and sizes. Many factors contribute to the packaging of beer. Using brown or green-tinted glass ensures the product is protected from sunlight, which can cause a breakdown of the contents. Aesthetic appeal trumps content in the case of clear beer bottles, which are chosen for their attractiveness and edge in marketability. Shape plays an important part, and size determines ultimate use -whether the buyer is consuming the product in its entirety or buying a quantity for gradual use, EHow reports.

Stubby

Shorter than the typical beer bottle and with virtually no neck, the stubby takes up less room in packaging, making for compact storage and delivery. It is sturdier than the average beer bottle, comes with thicker glass, and is typically tinted brown or green. Stubby beer bottles are prevalent in Europe and used to be popular in Canada from the 1960s to the mid 1980s, according to a History of the Stubby. The stubby bottle enjoys a nostalgic reputation in Canada and has even become a collectors item. Very few American beers are bottled in the stubby.

Growler

The growler typically holds half a gallon of draft beer, but also comes in a liter and quart size. It is intended for take-out, and customers can bring in their personal growlers for refill from their favorite tap. One of the advantages of buying beer this way is that it is generally cheaper. Remember that when you’re closing a multi-use bottle, you must be careful not to compromise the carbonation. Growlers are usually tinted a dark color. Robert Simonson notes in the “New York Times” that, as legend tells it, the name “growler” comes from the sound made by the release of carbon dioxide back when take-out beer was carried in pails.

Long Neck

The long neck bottle is prevalent in most countries. Long neck beer bottles are the most prevalent type used in America. Tall and slim with a long neck, these bottles are known as the ISB, or Industry Standard Bottle, according to the Beer Club. Sizes of long neck bottles are generally uniform, and they can be recycled and reused many times. Long neck beer bottles come in clear glass and tinted, but they are more highly represented by clear glass than other types of bottles. The long neck is easy to hold, and holding the neck rather than the body keeps the beer colder for longer periods of time.

Beer + Chocolate = Love

Porters and stouts
There are three general categories of beers to pair with assorted chocolates. Dark beers, such as porters and stouts, are made from caramelized barley and toasted malts offering really deep earthy tones. They’re a perfect pairing with any chocolate, especially a caramel truffle, chocolate with caramel and nuts or caramel-infused dark milk chocolate bar, experts advise.

Fruity, spicy beers
These are Belgian-style ale beers that go great with nearly any chocolate because they are made from barley that is roasted until the nutty, cocoa chocolate tones start coming out.

The yeast the Belgian brewers use has a lot of underlying fruit tones, especially Trappist-style dubbels (double), so you might pick up some chocolate, caramel, toast, dried fruit or clove spice, experts said. For a double wow, combine any berry-flavored truffle or chocolate bar with dried berries and amber ale.

Maltier golden beers
Pale malty beers and white ales tend to pair beautifully with malt-flavor truffles, gourmet malt balls and chocolate and nut combinations.

A word about black chocolate stouts – which are an excellent pairing with a chocolate dessert. Black chocolate stout is made with black chocolate and roasted malts (not chocolate candy), so it imparts powdered cocoa and creamy, dark, bittersweet chocolate flavors.

Read the label
Skip white chocolate, since it lacks cocoa solids. Milk chocolates, which have more sugar than dark and milk solids, take away from the flavor of beer, but a good 41 percent cacao dark milk chocolate pairs well with bock or a double bock. A dark milk chocolate with nuts and a bock beer – just wait for the magic, experts said.

Essentially, you want to pair any beer with good-quality dark chocolate containing 52 percent to 72 percent cocoa mass to get that intense chocolatey flavor.